Page 57 of A Perfect Engagement
Charlotte put a hand to her chest and took in a deep breath. Lord, if Miss Thornton’s goal was to ruin the party, she had definitely succeeded today. Would anyone even stay for tomorrow’s ball with all this drama?
Susanna came up next to her and slid an arm around her waist. “How are you? Weston said you were hurt.”
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.” Where was Daniel?
The beginning strains ofThe Battle of Praguebegan. Its lively tempo filled the room, causing everyone to turn toward the pianoforte. Daniel sat at the bench, his fingers deftly moving across the keys. The buzzing of voices in the room quieted. People began to sit down in the chairs around him to listen. Several footmen entered the room with trays, passing out wine to grateful guests. The music filled the space with pleasant tones, and slowly, the atmosphere changed from agitated to calm. Charlotte closed her eyes to listen.
“He certainly is a surprising gentleman,” Susanna said. “He has the command of the whole room.”
Charlotte popped open her eyes to stare across at Daniel. He certainly had command of her heart. Throughout this whole crazy day, Daniel watched out for her. He had been the only one to see she was hurt, to know how upset she would be by the scene which just transpired. He understood her like no one else ever had because he focused on her from the very beginning.
She loved him. She loved his boundless good humor, his kind heart. She admired the way he lived life how he saw fit, and not to anyone else’s standards. Miles may have saved her that day from the carriage, but Daniel turned out to be her true hero.
Oh God…what was she going to do! How could she be in love with Daniel? No, she could not. She could be fond of him. She could admire him. Those were safe choices. Loving Daniel was not a choice she could make when she was engaged to his brother. Charlotte sucked in a breath. Her skin grew hot and clammy. She wiped her hands down her skirts. Why was it suddenly so hot in here?
“Are you all right?” Susanna asked. Her voice sounded muffled even though she stood right next to her.
Charlotte managed to nod her head. “I think I need to go lie down. A-and I must change this dress. It has blood on it… Please excuse me.” She turned and fled the room.
*
Daniel stared outthe open window of the library. The sound of crickets punctuated the evening air. May had brought a lengthening of the daylight hours, and the soft light of dusk blanketed the gardens in golden hues. The letter he found tucked inside his book of flora and fauna fluttered across the table as a breeze blew through the room. Daniel grabbed it up and read the last words again.Reputations be damned. I will come for you.
The letter must have been written several months after the others Charlotte had shared with him the other night. The drama of it all drew Daniel in, despite his better judgment. The man who authored these had a knack for expressing his feelings that Daniel feared he would never possess himself. Perhaps if he had this man’s talent for pretty words, he would have the courage to tell Charlotte how he felt about her and have the words to explain to Miles why Charlotte should be his bride instead.
These letters could have been written fifty years ago or only two years ago for all they knew about the two lovers. He shook his head. Nevertheless, Charlotte would want to read it. He walked over to the writing desk where he had seen her put the other letters. Finding a quill and inkpot neatly arranged in one cubby, he scribbled a note along the top of the parchment. As he blew gently across the ink, the door to the library opened, and his aunt came through the threshold.
“There you are, Daniel. Miles said he saw you slip in here.” She bustled across the room.
Daniel stuffed the folded letter into a small drawer that held the other letters. “Hello, Aunt.” He hoped Aunt Diana didn’t have more ladies lined up for him to meet. Hadn’t she already introduced him to every unattached woman at the party?
“Lady Markham and her daughter are quite overset by the day’s excitement, and neither will be down for dinner. I have been asked to tell the guests that the evening’s entertainment of charades has been canceled.” A smile bloomed across her face. “It seems we have a break in the frivolity.”
Daniel frowned. “I hope Char—Miss Grisham is all right. One of the arrows injured her today. It sliced her arm.”
Aunt Diana moved to stand next to him. “I did not know that she was hurt. No wonder she doesn’t feel like coming down to dinner.” She glanced down at the table, and her whole body stilled. Diana’s fingertips ran over the title of his book of flora and fauna.
“I found it in the local bookshop. I thought it could be interesting to learn more about the local plants.”
“I used to have a book just like this in my library at my father’s house. You aren’t the only family member interested in horticulture. Both Agatha and I loved the subject, among others. We had such a large library at the house on Berkeley Street.”
“What happened to Grandfather’s library?”
“The house and all its contents went to my cousin Derek. He wasn’t much of a scholar, so I couldn’t say what he did with the books. Of course, that was years after Agatha and I both had married and had our own households.”
She straightened her shoulders and turned to face him. “Well, I best continue my rounds and make sure the guests are aware of the change in plans for the evening.”
Her smile chased away some of the melancholy he saw in her eyes. Perhaps thinking about her childhood home made her sad. He glanced down at the book. “Would you like to keep it?”
Diana brushed her hands down her skirt. “No. Don’t be silly. Enjoy it. If I remember correctly, it has lovely ink drawings throughout.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next morning,Charlotte walked from the conservatory with her arms full of rose clippings. The damask roses were blooming beautifully, and she couldn’t wait to display them in the two grand vases in the drawing room. As she crossed the hall, the unmistakable strains of Bach filtered through the drawing-room door. Charlotte paused and listened.Prelude in B minor, the piece was haunting and a bit sad. She carefully set her armful of roses on a nearby table next to a large candelabra. Removing her thick leather garden gloves, she also set them down.
She gave the door a nudge and peeked inside. At the pianoforte sat a pair of broad shoulders encased in a beige jacket, a head of sandy-blond hair bent forward in concentration. Daniel’s fingers moved across the keys with fluid grace. Charlotte stepped inside and carefully closed the door behind her. So absorbed by the piece of music, Daniel did not seem to notice her presence.
Last night she had been a coward and hid in her room. She used the pain in her arm as an excuse not to come down for dinner. But truly she had not wanted to face either of the brothers so soon after her realization that she was in love with Daniel. Feigning impersonal, polite conversation over dinner would have been an impossible task.
